System and method for augmented reality using a user-specific object

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a method of displaying augmented reality gaming information associated with a user-specific object using mobile device in an augmented reality gaming system. In one embodiment, the method includes: enabling a user to view a live image of a user-specific object through a display of a mobile device; acquiring user-specific identification information from the user-specific object; sending the user-specific identification information via a network to a server; retrieving user-specific specific information from the server using the mobile device; and displaying the user-specific information in conjunction with the user-specific object when viewing the user-specific object through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/603,185, filed May 23, 2017, which is a Continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/828,414, filed Aug. 17, 2015, which is aContinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/842,385, filed Mar.15, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,111,418, which is a Continuation-In-Partof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/969,462, filed Dec. 15, 2010, nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,821,274, all of which are incorporated herein byreference.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is directed to wagering games, gaming machines,networked gaming systems and methods, and in particular to themaintenance of these wagering games, gaming machines, networked gamingsystems and methods.

BACKGROUND

Previously, various types of gaming machines have been developed withdifferent features to captivate and maintain player interest. Ingeneral, a gaming machine allows a player to play a game in exchange fora wager. Depending on the outcome of the game, the player may beentitled to an award which is paid to the player by the gaming machine,normally in the form of currency or game credits. Gaming machines mayinclude flashing displays, lighted displays, or sound effects to capturea player's interest in a gaming device.

Another important feature of maintaining player interest in a gamingmachine includes providing the player with many opportunities to winawards, such as cash or prizes. For example, in some slot machines, thedisplay windows show more than one adjacent symbol on each reel, therebyallowing for multiple-line betting.

In the past, manufacturers have developed systems for control of gamingmachines. Specifically, these have included applications for denyingself-excluded gamblers from playing slot machines, bonusing of anonymousplayers and allowing a player to participate in a casino loyalty schemewithout the need to insert a physical card into the gaming machine.

While gaming machines including feature games have been successful,there remains a need for feature games that provide players withenhanced excitement and an increased opportunity of winning.

SUMMARY

Briefly, and in general terms, the method is disclosed of displayingaugmented reality gaming information associated with a user-specificobject using mobile device in an augmented reality gaming system. In oneembodiment, the method includes: enabling a user to view a live image ofa user-specific object through a display of a mobile device; acquiringuser-specific identification information from the user-specific object;sending the user-specific identification information via a network to aserver; retrieving user-specific information from the server using themobile device; and displaying the user-specific information inconjunction with the user-specific object when viewing the user-specificobject through the display of the mobile device using augmented reality.

In some embodiments, the user-specific information includes messages tothe user, available credits, and promotional points available to theuser. In one aspect, the user-specific information is displayed usingone or more icons presented in association with the user-specific objectwhen viewed through the display of the mobile device. In one embodiment,different icons are displayed depending on the user-specific informationassociated with the user. The user-specific identification informationmay be acquired from the user-specific object using a QR code. Theuser-specific identification information also may be acquired from theuser-specific object using optical character recognition of informationvisible on the user-specific object. Continuing, some embodimentsfurther comprise enabling the user to interact with the user-specificinformation in conjunction with the user-specific object when viewingthe user-specific object through the display of a mobile device usingaugmented reality.

In another embodiment, another gaming method is disclosed of displayingaugmented reality gaming information associated with a user-specificobject using mobile device in an augmented reality gaming system. In oneembodiment, the method includes: enabling a user to view a live image ofa user-specific object through a display of a mobile device; acquiringuser-specific identification information from the user-specific object;sending the user-specific identification information via a network to aserver; retrieving promotional or voucher information from the serverusing the mobile device; and displaying the promotional or voucherinformation in conjunction with the user-specific object when viewingthe user-specific object through the display of the mobile device usingaugmented reality. The promotional or voucher information may include acomplementary drink icon, a movie ticket icon, a restaurant vouchericon, or combinations thereof.

Continuing, in another aspect of some embodiments, a gaming method isdisclosed of displaying augmented reality gaming information associatedwith a user-specific object using mobile device in an augmented realitygaming system. In one embodiment, the method includes: enabling a userto view a live image of a user-specific object through a display of amobile device; acquiring user-specific identification information fromthe user-specific object; sending the user-specific identificationinformation via a network to a server; retrieving bonus game informationfrom the server using the mobile device; and displaying the bonus gameinformation in conjunction with the user-specific object when viewingthe user-specific object through the display of the mobile device usingaugmented reality. The promotional or voucher information may include avirtual bonus game, a virtual promotional game, a virtual base game, orcombinations thereof.

Features and advantages will become apparent from the following detaileddescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate by way of example, the features of the various embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a player card, shown with a player name, player IDnumber, and a QR code.

FIG. 1B illustrates a player card, shown with a player name and playerID number, but without a QR code.

FIG. 2A illustrates a player card at a gaming machine, shown without anaugmented reality view of the player card.

FIG. 2B illustrates a player card at a gaming machine, shown with anaugmented reality view of the player card and associated player specific(e.g., credits available) information.

FIG. 2C illustrates a player card at a gaming machine, shown with anaugmented reality view of the player card and associated promotional orvoucher information.

FIG. 2D illustrates a player card at a gaming machine, shown with anaugmented reality view of the player card and associated bonus gameinformation.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system overview of an augmented reality venuesystem.

FIG. 4 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process to build anaugmented display.

FIG. 5 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying an example outputfrom an augmented reality venue mobile application.

FIG. 6 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying an example outputfrom an augmented reality venue mobile application with a gamehighlighted.

FIG. 7 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying an example outputfrom an augmented reality venue mobile application with a game reservedwith a Personal Identification Number.

FIG. 8 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying an example outputfrom an augmented reality venue mobile application with signagehighlighted.

FIG. 9 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying an example outputfrom an augmented reality venue mobile application with an “in-use” gamehighlighted.

FIG. 10 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying an example outputfrom an augmented reality venue mobile application with a userhighlighted.

FIG. 11 illustrates a system overview of an augmented reality gamingsystem.

FIG. 12 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process to provide a gameon a smart phone.

FIG. 13 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process to begin anaugmented session via bluetooth.

FIG. 14 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process to begin anaugmented session via image recognition.

FIG. 15 illustrates an example gaming machine output with calibrationand data marks enabled.

FIG. 16 illustrates an example gaming machine output from a smartphone's camera-perspective.

FIG. 17 illustrates calibration marks as extracted from image capture.

FIG. 18 illustrates an example image capture by the game application of“Burger Run.”

FIG. 19 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying a game applicationmenu for “Burger Run.”

FIG. 20 illustrates a logic flow diagram of a process to presentprogressive ratings.

FIG. 21 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying a game applicationmenu for progressive value decoding.

FIG. 22 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying a game applicationmenu of an example progressive analysis presentation.

FIG. 23 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying a game applicationmenu of an example strategy overlay.

FIG. 24 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying a game applicationmenu of an example video poker acquisition and decoding.

FIG. 25 illustrates a smart phone that is displaying a game applicationmenu of an example video poker analysis presentation.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a gaming machine in accordance with oneor more embodiments.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a gaming machine.

FIGS. 28A and 28B are block diagrams of the physical and logicalcomponents of the gaming machine of FIG. 26.

FIG. 29 is a block diagram of the logical components of a gaming kernelin accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIGS. 30A and 30B are schematic block diagrams showing the hardwareelements of a networked gaming system in accordance with one or moreembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Various embodiments are directed to a game, gaming machine, gamingsystems and method for playing a game, wherein the gaming systemincludes augmented reality that interacts with a player card. Theembodiments are illustrated and described herein, by way of exampleonly, and not by way of limitation. Referring now to the drawings, andmore particularly to FIGS. 1-4, there are shown illustrative examples ofgames, gaming machines, gaming systems and methods for playing a game inaccordance with various aspects of the gaming system which includesaugmented reality that interacts with a player card.

Examples in accordance with one or more aspects of the augmented realityplayer card system 100 are shown in FIGS. 1-4. One embodiment of anaugmented reality player card system 100 includes an augmented realityapplication that interacts with a player card 110. Such an embodimentmay be employed in casinos where carded play is allowed, and a player isgiven a player card 110. This type of player card 110 typically containsinformation (e.g., an identification code) that is used for retrievingplayer information from the backend system. In the embodiments of theaugmented reality player card system 100 described below, this AugmentedReality technology may be used to leverage this player card informationin order to provide enhanced presentation of this information in anaugmented reality construct along with additional features that leveragea virtual format.

These features of the augmented reality player card system 100 that arepresented in a virtual format include, by way of example only, and notby way of limitation: (1) displaying player card information on anAugmented Reality display of a mobile device's camera; (2) displayingpromotions available in the casino on an Augmented Reality display of amobile device's camera; and (3) displaying bonus games which can beplayed using Augmented Reality technology on an Augmented Realitydisplay of a mobile device's camera. In one embodiment of the augmentedreality player card system 100, awards credits/points are added to thegame when a player next uses the player card 110. These features may beenabled when the player sees his player card 110 through a camera in anAugmented Reality-equipped mobile device 120, such as a smart phone,tablet, or HUD (Heads Up Display) of a mobile device.

In one embodiment of an augmented reality player card system 100,applications are incorporated using Augmented Reality technology over aplayer card 110. Typically, an Augmented Reality-enabled mobile device120 (or “Augmented Reality system”) is equipped with Augmented Realityapplications that may be used to leverage information on the player card110.

In the augmented reality player card system 100, the Augmented Realityapplications may be downloaded to the Augmented Reality mobile device120 using an automatic approach or a manual approach. In the automaticapproach, a patron's Augmented Reality-enabled mobile device 120 isidentified by an ID system. The ID system prompts the Augmented Realitysystem for the patron's permission to download the Augmented Realityapplication. The actual download from the ID system to the AugmentedReality mobile device 120 may be performed through Wi-Fi, BlueTooth, orother wired/wireless communication mechanisms. In the automaticapproach, the patron may download the Augmented Reality application at akiosk. The Augmented Reality mobile device 120 may communicate with thekiosk through a wireless protocol (WiFi/BlueTooth) or a wired protocol.Patron can initiate the download of the application from the kiosk.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the player card 110 contains informationsuch as a patron's account number, as well as potential other gamingand/or non-gaming information. Using the account number, the followingapplications may be made available: (1) displaying player specificinformation, (2) showing promotions, and/or (3) enabling game play.These applications are explained in detail below:

Displaying Player Specific Information:

Referring now to one embodiment of the of the Augmented Reality PlayerCard system 100 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, when the Augmented Realitydevice scans the player card 110, the Augmented Reality devicerecognizes that the object is a player card belonging to the particularcasino. The Augmented Reality mobile device 120 then reads the playercode from the face of the player card 110 and sends the code to thebackend of the Augmented Reality system. In some embodiments of theaugmented reality player card system 100, the player code may be in theform of a QR code 130. Alternatively, the player code may be read fromthe card through Optical Character Recognition.

Once the player code is obtained, the Augmented Reality mobile device120 sends the code to the backend of the Augmented Reality system. Inone embodiment of the augmented reality player card system 100, thebackend of the Augmented Reality system authenticates the player througha PIN (Personal Identification Number) entry. The PIN entry may beimplemented using a virtual Augmented Reality image. Once the PIN isauthenticated, the backend of the Augmented Reality system sends theplayer card 110 details to the Augmented Reality mobile device 120. Inthis embodiment, the Augmented Reality mobile device 120 thensuperimposes the player information above the player card 110, as viewedthrough the display of the mobile device 120 (or other suitable viewingdevice). In such an embodiment, the player can “virtually” view all thedetails stored on the player card 110 with unique 3D graphicalrepresentations, as shown in FIG. 2B, simply by directing the display ofthe mobile device 120 towards the player card.

Promotions:

Referring now to FIG. 2C, in some embodiments of the Augmented RealityPlayer Card system 100, the player may choose to view the promotionaloffers that have been acquired (e.g., the player may have an offer for acomplementary drink, movie ticket, restaurant voucher or promotionalpoints). This promotional information may be displayed after the playerhas seen the other player specific information (e.g., creditsavailable). In one embodiment of the Augmented Reality Player Cardsystem 100, the promotions being offered (and/or related information)may be displayed as a superimposed 3D image over the player card 110, asshown in FIG. 2C. In one aspect of this embodiment, the player maychoose any of these offers by selecting the virtual buttons superimposedover the player card video.

Once the player chooses an option by selecting a virtual button on thedisplay screen of the Augmented Reality mobile device 120, the mobiledevice communicates with the backend of the Augmented Reality system totake the corresponding action. For example, if the player chooses thecomplementary drink option, the Augmented Reality mobile device 120 canpresent an e-voucher with a message stating that the player can pick upthe order a specific counter. If the player chooses the movie ticket,the Augmented Reality mobile device 120 can talk to the backend of theAugmented Reality system and issue an e-ticket voucher as an MMS, whichthe player can take to the movie theater. In this same manner, otherpromotional offers can be exercised by the player using the AugmentedReality mobile device 120 and the selection of a virtual button in theaugmented reality environment.

Enabling Game Play:

Referring now to FIG. 2D, in some embodiments of the Augmented RealityPlayer Card system 100, the Augmented Reality device can be used to playpromotional games (e.g., as part of promotions). When the player choosesto play promotional games, options for games can be presented in theaugmented reality environment. The player can choose to play aparticular game by selecting a virtual button in the augmented realityenvironment.

Since this type of game is typically a bonus game, the Augmented Realitymobile device 120 can talk to an electronic bonus system engine to playthe bonus game. In such an embodiment, the bonus game is super imposedover the player card 110. The player can play this superimposed gamegraphics in the virtual augmented reality environment, just as theplayer would play the bonus game on a traditional gaming machine (e.g.,the player is able to “virtually” select bonus game indicators toparticipate in the game). The electronic bonus system tracks the pointsbet/earned during this play. An example of this activity is displayed inFIG. 2B.

In various embodiments of the Augmented Reality Player Card system 100,several features can be provided on an Augmented Reality device usingplayer card 110. Though the Augmented Reality mobile device 120 usingthe player card 110 is used in a casino environment in some embodiments,the Augmented Reality Player Card system 100 can be implemented outsidea casino environment using secure internet communication in otherembodiments.

By using the Augmented Reality Player Card system 100 to view a playercard 110, the system enables the player to view information associatedwith his player card, and in a virtual format that is visuallyimpactful. The Augmented Reality Player Card system 100 may also be easyused by aged players, since the system does not require much physicalmovement by the player. The Augmented Reality Player Card system 100 isa technologically attractive interface which increases the entertainmentvalue of the surrounding environment.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in another aspect of some embodiments, gamingsystems are utilized that include augmented reality viewing capabilities300. In such embodiments of the disclosed gaming system, smart phonesare utilized that include a built in gyroscope, as well as locationtracking technology such as a digital compass and a GPS system (GlobalPositioning System). These features enable the accurate position andorientation of the smart phones and its user to be derived.Additionally, some other embodiments of the disclosed gaming system useobject recognition and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) techniquescombined with location/orientation derivation to provide players incasinos easy ways of finding games, progressive jackpots, particularmachines, and other players of their choice.

The overall arrangement of the gaming systems that include augmentedreality viewing capabilities may be seen in FIG. 3. In broad terms,gaming systems that include augmented reality viewing capabilitiesinclude an application loaded onto a camera-enabled smart phone, aback-end system for assisting the application, and integration modulesfor connecting to an existing Business Intelligence System (BIS).

In some embodiments, the Business Intelligence System provides adatabase or other structure that includes a table of the position andorientation of every gaming machine in a venue. Continuing, in suchembodiments each position/orientation is associated with a uniqueidentifier that enables this system to query the Casino ManagementSystem (CMS) to retrieve data for the gaming machine in question such ascurrent occupancy, historical performance, current denomination andother relevant attributes.

The basic operation of one embodiment of a gaming system that includesaugmented reality viewing capabilities is shown in FIG. 4. A playerinstalls an augmented reality venue application on his phone, andactivates the application when he enters the venue. Preferably, theapplication may be automatically activated by a Bluetooth or wirelessmessage that is received by the phone when it passes through a portalsuch as a casino entrance. Alternatively, the application may beautomatically activated by a “locale” condition programmed into thesmart phone, tied to the venue's GPS location. In the simplestimplementation, the application is manually activated by the player.

Once activated, the application of the gaming system having augmentedreality viewing capabilities begins to control the built-in primarycamera of the smart phone. In one such embodiment, a message isdisplayed on the smart phone display asking the user to aim the cameraat gaming machines or other objects of interest in the venue.

Once aimed, the augmented reality application determines the location ofthe phone, by means such as GPS, Bluetooth, or cell tower triangulation.In another embodiment, the augmented reality application determines thelocation of the phone by analysis of the image being captured by thecamera. In this regard, physical reference points may be placed in thecasino for the camera to find. Next, the orientation of the phone isdetermined. This may be accomplished by accessing the internal digitalgyroscope embedded within the smart phone.

Once the location/orientation of the smart phone is known, the objectsof interest (such as gaming machines) that may be seen by the smartphone's camera may be computed. This may be achieved by placing thecamera position/orientation within a virtual 3D representation of thevenue. This virtual representation may be built up offline by parsingthe Business Intelligence System table of position/orientations ofgaming machines and other objects. From time to time, thisrepresentation may be updated to take into account the moving of gamingmachines and signage around the venue.

In one embodiment of the gaming system having augmented reality viewingcapabilities, a list of gaming machines and other objects currentlyvisible to the camera are built up. For each object visible, a virtualposition on the smart phone display may be derived by performing aninverse projection matrix on the co-ordinates of the gaming machine. Thecamera captured image is rendered on the smart phone display, and anicon is overlaid on the image for each visible object. An example ofthis output is shown in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 5, in another aspect of the gaming system havingaugmented reality viewing capabilities, some different types of iconsmay be shown depending upon the type of object or some meta-dataassociated with an object. In the example shown in FIG. 5, a standardgaming machine is shown with a green icon, a gaming machine that isbeing played (and thus unavailable) is shown with a blue icon, and thegaming machine with the highest payout over a recent period of time(i.e. the ‘hottest’ gaming machine) is shown with a red icon.

Another type of icon shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5 is a user icon.This user icon represents another player, such as a player that thecurrent user has an affinity with (e.g., a spouse or relative). In someembodiments of the gaming system having augmented reality viewingcapabilities, the player may register affinities in the CMS or via theaugmented reality venue application. By employing such an embodiment,the player is able to find their spouse by simply panning their cameraaround until the user icon is straight ahead.

Notably, icons such as the user icon need not represent an objectdirectly visible by the player. In some embodiments of the augmentedreality venue system, signage and banks of gaming machines may bebetween the player and their spouse, but do not affect the operation ofthis system.

As shown in FIG. 6, once an icon is shown, the player may touch thetouchscreen on their smart phone at the location of the icon to bring upinformation about the object in question. FIG. 6 shows an example ofsuch information. In this example, the user has selected the red iconnear a ‘Hot Shots’ game on the image displayed on his phone. Thisselection causes a pop-up window with information about the game,including the detail that this is the ‘Hottest Slot’ by some measure(e.g., perhaps this gaming machine has paid out the most money over thelast 24 hours).

In some embodiments, the pop-up window also lets the player know thatthis gaming machine is available to play, which might not be apparent ifthere are any obstructions between the gaming machine and the user. Inone such embodiment, this availability information is obtained by theback-end systems by querying the CMS to see if any credits or playertracking card are inserted.

Referring now of FIG. 7, in another aspect of a gaming system havingaugmented reality viewing capabilities, the pop-up window also enables aplayer to “reserve” a gaming machine. Reserving gaming machines ispopular in some markets, and this novel feature extends the reservingfeature. If a player chooses to reserve the gaming machine by selectingthe button on their smart phone, a message is sent up from the phone tothe back-end system, and onto the CMS to reserve the gaming machine.Preferably, the CMS generates a PIN and transmits this PIN to the gamingmachine and back to the phone. This PIN is displayed on the phone, asshown in FIG. 7. The gaming machine then locks up for a period of timeto give the player time to walk over. When the player reaches the gamingmachine, he or she enters the matching PIN and the game is unlocked.Once the time limit is reached, the gaming machine automatically unlocksto prevent the gaming machine from being held out-of-service.

Referring now to FIG. 8, an embodiment of a gaming system havingaugmented reality viewing capabilities is shown in which a user hasselected an augmented reality venue with the signage highlighted. Thistype of reservation may be restricted to users of a certain standing;for example, “Platinum Level” players, to ensure they have priority forpopular games.

FIG. 9 is an embodiment of a gaming system having augmented realityviewing capabilities in which a user has selected a game that iscurrently in use by another player. In this scenario, the user isoffered the choice of finding another game of the same type elsewhere inthe venue. In some embodiments, this action is performed by the backendquerying the CMS as to other games with identical themes, and filteringthis list by only matching gaming machines where credits are zero and noplayer tracking card is inserted.

Once the list is formed, the list is sorted by distance from the userbased upon the gaming machine location table in the BusinessIntelligence System. The nearest gaming machine matching is thenpresented on the screen, if it is visible, by a vertical arrow iconpointing at the gaming machine. In some embodiments the arrow icon isflashing. In another aspect of one embodiment, if the nearest matchinggaming machine is off of the screen, a horizontal arrow is displayedthat indicates which way the player should rotate themselves to bringthe matching gaming machine into view. As the player rotates himself,holding the phone in front of him, the arrow position is updated, andeventually replaced by a vertical arrow pointing directly at the gamingmachine.

In one embodiment of a gaming system having augmented reality viewingcapabilities, “Platinum” players (or other selected players) arepresented with another option when all gaming machines of a particulartype are in use, or the player has a particular favorite machine. Theseplayers may be given the option to “pre-reserve” a gaming machine orgame, such that they will be informed by the augmented realityapplication the moment that their game, or favorite machine, becomesfree. At this point, the gaming machine in question will be reserved fora period of time, using the PIN method described above.

Referring now to FIG. 10, an embodiment of a gaming system havingaugmented reality viewing capabilities shows yet another feature. Asmentioned above, players may register affinities to other players. Inthis example, as well as being able to find their friends or spouse, theplayer may choose to find the same game (at a different gaming machine)they are playing, or possibly sending an instant message (IM) to theirfriend to be displayed on the friend's gaming machine. In the case ofcommunity games, the “Find Available” option may also allow a player tofind a free seat in the same community game as their friend.

Some preferred implementations of the disclosed embodiments use (1) asmart phone for the client that has a GPS or other positioning system,as well as a gyroscope for accurate orientation detection, (2) anysuitable web server for communication with the smart phone andregistration of players, and (3) OpenCV image analysis software.Additionally, some embodiments provide features that include, by way ofexample only: (1) enabling players to quickly find objects of interest,(2) increasing casino revenue by helping players find their favoritegames quicker, (3) enabling players to reserve games from their phone,(4) leveraging technology that players already have, and (5) utilizing asystem that is inexpensive to deploy, since it does not require any newinfrastructure. In other aspects, some embodiments provide: (1) the useof the phone as a way of finding objects in a casino, (2) the ability toreserve games from the phone, and unlock the games with a PIN, (3)notification when games become available, and (4) the ability to findother players, and the games that they are playing.

In another aspect of some embodiments, gaming systems are utilized thatinclude augmented reality gaming capabilities 1100. In such embodimentsof the disclosed gaming system, smart phones are utilized that includebuilt-in object recognition technologies and OCR (Optical CharacterRecognition) techniques combined with location/orientation derivation toprovide players in casinos with additional gaming options andopportunities. In one embodiment of a gaming system that includesaugmented reality gaming capabilities 1100, such object recognitiontechnologies and OCR capabilities are similar to those provided byGoogle's (“Goggles”) application.

The overall arrangement of the modules that make up an embodiment of agaming system that includes augmented reality gaming capabilities 1100may be seen in FIG. 11. In some embodiments, the gaming system havingaugmented reality gaming capabilities 1100 consists of an augmentedreality gaming application loaded onto a camera-enabled mobile smartphone, a back-end system for assisting the application, and in somescenarios, additional software modules as part of the gaming machinesoftware.

In one implementation of a gaming system that includes augmented realitygaming capabilities 1100, the gaming process proceeds in the followingmanner. A player approaches a game machine to play a game (e.g., JokerPoker). Joker Poker is a video poker game in which a player makes adecision about which cards to hold or draw. During the game, the playermay reach a point where the player is unsure of the correct strategywith which to proceed. When this point of uncertainty occurs, the playermay take out his mobile phone and select the augmented reality gamingassistance application. Next, the player is prompted to point his smartphone's camera to the gaming machine screen. Once the camera is aimed atthe screen, the player presses the camera shutter button, and an imageis captured (as seen in FIG. 24).

The augmented reality gaming assistance application transmits the imageto the backend server via a 3G (third generation) or GPRS (GeneralPacket Radio Service) encrypted SSL (secure socket layer) session to apublic web service and awaits a response. The backend server, usingobject recognition and OCR technology determines the following fromanalyzing the image: (1) the paytable of the game, and thus, the gametitle; (2) the current game state; and (3) the player's credit/betinformation. From the first two of these items, all possible strategiesare determined by the system. This information, along with the game nameand state, is transmitted back to the augmented reality gamingassistance application on the mobile phone over the 3G connection.

In one embodiment, the augmented reality gaming assistance applicationmay present the information to the player in a number of ways, as shownin FIG. 25. In the example of FIG. 25, the theoretical best choice forthe player is presented for the game of Joker Poker, along withinformation concerning the possible outcomes to the game. Notably, theplayer is free to experiment on the assistance application of theplayer's smart phone, selecting and de-selecting potential cards tohold. During this process, the odds are presented below the cards, asthe cards are being updated to reflect the current scenario (e.g., aftereach selection/de-selection).

While the augmented reality gaming assistance application is clearlyuseful for beginner players, the application is also useful for moreexpert players by taking into account progressive jackpots which maycause strategy to vary depending upon the current progressive amount.Furthermore, the augmented reality gaming assistance applicationprovides additional benefits whenever variables are added to games, suchas a wild card, or when more complex odds are associated with theoutcome of a game.

In some embodiments of the gaming system having augmented reality gamingcapabilities 1100, once the game title is determined, other informationcan also be made available by the phone application. For example, linksto tutorials, discussion forums and social networking sites specific tothe game may be offered. Such tutorials may take into account thecurrent state of the game and offer context-sensitive help.

In other, more sophisticated, embodiments of the gaming system thatinclude augmented reality gaming capabilities 1100, the gaming processproceeds in the following manner. While the video poker examplepresented above provides the content on the player's smart phone relatedto the game, these above-described embodiments do not augment the outputof the gaming machine directly. However, in more sophisticatedembodiments of the gaming system that includes augmented reality gamingcapabilities 1100, an augmented display captures the output from thegaming machine via the camera in the phone, and overlays virtualgraphics on the smart phone's display that either (1) appear to be onthe gaming machine display when viewed via the mobile phone, or (2)augment the gaming machine display with elements that indicate points ofinterest on the gaming machine.

Referring now to FIG. 12, one embodiment of a gaming system havingaugmented reality gaming capabilities 1100 that illustrates how anaugmented feature may be deployed is shown. Firstly, a player associatesthe gaming machine being played with the phone he is holding. Thisassociation may be accomplished in a number of ways, two of which aredescribed below. In the first association technique, the gaming machinebegins displaying calibration marks at the corner of the LCD display, orin other unobtrusive positions, once the augmented session has begun. Anexample of these calibration marks is shown in FIG. 15. Continuing, asthe player holds the camera of the smart phone up in front of the gamingmachine, the application-controlled camera captures the image of thegaming machine, including the game LCD output. Since it is unlikely thatthe player will be holding the camera directly parallel to the LCD, theimage of the LCD will likely be slightly trapezoidal, as shown in FIG.16.

Referring now to FIG. 17, the object recognition system takes this imageand extracts the calibration marks. In some embodiments, the objectrecognition system uses a standard object recognition algorithm.Notably, this amount of computation is well within the real-timecapability of today's modern smart phone. If more advanced computationalprocessing is required for some reason, the object recognition algorithmmay be run by transmitting the image to the backend server, where theimage may be processed. This is not the preferred solution due to thetime taken to transmit the image would likely interfere with real-timeoverlay by producing significant lag. In a more preferred embodiment,once the calibration marks are decoded, the mobile phone applicationoverlays images at suitable points on the camera-derived image. Thetechniques for achieving this image overlay are described above withrespect to the gaming system having an augmented reality venue 300.

Referring now to FIG. 23, an example of potential context-sensitive helpbeing overlaid at the correct position on the camera image is shown. Insuch an embodiment of the gaming system having augmented reality gamingcapabilities 1100, a player is assigned a “lucky” symbol for a feature.In some embodiments, the determination of this symbol is based upon pastperformance by the player of this game, past performance of the machine,a hashing algorithm based upon the player's name or telephone number, orcombinations thereof. Continuing, when the player reaches the selectionstage of the feature, the player uses the augmented reality applicationon his smart phone to take a photo or video and receive the imageoverlay, as shown in FIG. 23.

Referring now to FIG. 15, an embodiment of a gaming system havingaugmented reality gaming capabilities 1100 is shown that includes “datamarks” in the captured image. These “data marks” may be displayed atsimilar locations to calibration marks, or ideally as in FIG. 15, theymay be embedded within a suitable graphic. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 15, the data marks are the Dragon's eyes. In one aspect of adisclosed embodiment, a data mark performs by temporally varying theintensity of the pixel(s) that compose it. From the player'sperspective, this varying of intensity appears as though the dragon'seyes are flickering. In contrast, an actual flicker typically requiresan encoded stream of data. A simple implementation uses a high intensitypixel to indicate a binary 1, and a low intensity pixel to indicate abinary 0. In some embodiments, multiple data marks are used to increasedata throughput.

By using calibration marks, the overall geometry of the game LCD isknown with respect to the camera image. From this geometry, the expectedposition of the data marks may be derived. In some embodiments, the datamarks are utilized as a one-way method of the game communicating withthe augmented reality gaming application. In this manner, the data marksmay be used for the following purposes: (1) The state of the game may beefficiently communicated (e.g., during free spins, the data marks maycause the phone to augment the display with extra graphical FX). (2) Thegame may provide “secret hints” to the player via their mobile phonewith regard to choices to make during a game. Such features may beconstructed such that the hints do not affect the overall hold overtime, or simply decrease the hold by a known amount. In one embodiment,players may be targeted who have a consistent record of betting larger.(3) Game play statistics may be encrypted and sent via the data mark andaugmented reality gaming application to a secure web service. Thesestatistics may be collected by the manufacturer as an alternative meansof collecting marketing data. Notably, in most embodiments, the phoneapplication does not affect the outcome or operation of the underlyinggame since the communication is only one way.

In another embodiment of the gaming system having augmented realitygaming capabilities 1100, particular data marks provide a means for agaming machine manufacturer to potentially track the deployment ofgames. Historically, there have been problems in some markets of gamesand machines being resold without the manufacturer's consent. This maypotentially result in copy-protection methods being breached. Throughthe implementation of the disclosed gaming system, a manufacturer maymake use of the location awareness of a modern smart phone, which thentransmits the location of the phone along with data from the data mark,which is capable of uniquely identifying the gaming machine. If thelocation of the gaming machine is found to be incorrect based upon salesrecords, corrective action may be taken.

As noted above, there are a number of methods for establishing anaugmented reality gaming session using an embodiment of the disclosedgaming system. As shown in FIG. 13, Bluetooth wireless technology may beused, by installing a Bluetooth radio in the gaming machine andleveraging the existing Bluetooth capabilities of a standard smartphone. In this manner, the selected gaming machine continuallybroadcasts to suitable Bluetooth devices using known Bluetooth discoveryprocesses. When a handshake is made, the gaming machine determines ifthe handshake is from the augmented reality gaming application or fromanother source. If the handshake is from another source, the gamingmachine sends a Bluetooth text message giving instructions on how todownload the augmented reality gaming application.

Referring now to FIG. 18, once the gaming system is in communicationwith the augmented reality gaming application, the game information andstate is sent to the application. This enables the augmented realitygaming application to display a menu such as shown in FIG. 19. In someembodiments, updated state information may be continually sent byBluetooth rather than by the use of data marks or OCR throughout thesession. This configuration provides the advantage of using Bluetooth.However, this benefit must be balanced against the potential downside ofthe communication being theoretically two-way, and thus, harder to beapproved by certain gaming regulators.

As described in FIG. 14, an alternative to Bluetooth may be implementedusing object recognition from a camera image. Specifically, in such anembodiment, the augmented reality gaming application which is loadedonto the player's smart phone, asks the user to take a photo of thegaming machine. Through the use of known object-recognition algorithms,the name of the game may be extracted. Further information may also beobtained by OCR analysis of the camera image. Specifically, thearrangement of symbols and the values of meters and other states areextracted from the camera image. Moreover, for marketing purposes, thisdata may be sent by the backend server or by the augmented realitygaming application via an SSL (secure socket layer) session to a securemanufacturer's web service.

Continuing in this embodiment, once the state of the game is known, anaugmented state may be presented to the player via the display screen ofthe smart phone. For example, in some embodiments where a player isgiven the choice of three boxes to open, an arrow may appear on themobile phone display pointing to the box that the player should favor.An example of an image capture from the process of FIG. 14 is shown inFIG. 18. In this embodiment, a player is playing a game called “BurgerRun.” Referring now to FIG. 19, a successful determination of the stateresults is shown in the content of the smart phone's display screen.

In this embodiment, the smart phone's display screen presents a numberof features to the player, including, by way of example only, GameRules, Games Like This, Progressive Info, Secret Strategy, and DownloadApp. The “Game Rules” feature includes a standard pay table, videosdemonstrating the features present in the game, and other generalinformation. Selecting the “Games Like This” feature presents a list ofgames that were similar to a previously-played game, based upondenomination, volatility, and/or other factors. The “Progressive Info”feature is described in further detail below. In some embodiments, the“Secret Strategy” feature refers a player to one or more socialnetworking sites where players may debate and propose strategies for thecurrent game. The “Secret Strategy” feature may also providecontext-sensitive help that is overlaid at the correct position on thecamera image as described above in FIG. 23, to give the player thefeeling that he may have an edge on the game. The “Secret Strategy”feature may also present time-limited bonuses that are currentlyavailable at this gaming machine (e.g., Power Winners promotions thatare currently near the location of the smart phone).

In another aspect of some embodiments, the “Download App” featureenables a player to download a “fun” version (i.e., non-gamblingversion) of the game onto their phone. Otherwise stated, in such anembodiment, the gaming system having augmented reality gamingcapabilities 1100 enables players to simply take a photo of games theywish to have on their smart phone, and have them automaticallydownloaded for continued future use.

Referring again to the “Progressive Info” feature, this feature isfurther illustrated in FIGS. 20-22. Specifically, FIG. 20 illustrates alogic flow diagram of a process to present progressive rating. In oneembodiment, FIG. 21 illustrates a smart phone in the process ofacquiring progressive information for progressive value decoding. Aswith video poker, the gaming system having augmented reality gamingcapabilities 1100 enables a player to take a photo of a progressivegame. Continuing, as shown in FIG. 22, the mobile phone application orthe backend server analyzes the current state of the meters to determinethe current favorability of playing the game. This analysis is done byusing the known meter positions within the captured LCD image (which maybe derived by looking up the meter positions for a particular game oncethe game title itself has been derived using the processes in FIG. 13 orFIG. 14).

In some embodiments, the images at the meter positions are passed to anOCR (Optical Character Recognition) algorithm to determine the currentprogressive values. These values are then checked for sanity (i.e., ifthe values read are out-of-range for what may be expected, there maylikely by either a problem with the image capture or with the installedprogressive game). The values are then compared against their associatedrange, and a rating is determined. Otherwise stated, a progressive mayhave a range with a maximum expected value of $100, and a minimum of$90. If the current value read is $99.50, one would expect thisprogressive to be likely triggered comparatively soon. This result wouldalso cause a high rating to be given.

In another embodiment of the gaming system having augmented realitygaming capabilities 1100, if the progressive is open-ended and does nothave a maximum value, then the rating may be determined based upon thetheoretical hold of the game based upon its current progressive states.In this manner, higher progressive values lead to a higher theoreticalhold. In the case of multiple progressives, each rating may be shownindividually, or combined into either an average or maximum rating. Amaximum rating shows the rating of only the likeliest progressive tohit. Once determined, the rating is shown to the player, an example ofwhich is shown in FIG. 22. In such an embodiment, progressive games aregiven a rating equivalent to the widely known Homeland Security warningsystem. Like its security counterpart, the rating may be configured suchthat the “low” rating is never chosen.

Notably, the use of calibration marks or a Bluetooth for determining thegaming machine screen position and orientation in a captured image isnot necessary. In some embodiments of the gaming system having augmentedreality gaming capabilities 1100, the game title may be determined byOCR or object recognition. In this manner, the fixed geometry and smallset of possible images in a game may be used to quickly and accuratelydetermine which game is present. Once the game title is determined, theknown structure of the game display may be used in place of calibrationmarks. For example, in one embodiment, the game shown in FIG. 15 hastouch screen buttons in the lower corners marked “Cash Out” and “Spin,”which may be detected by object recognition and used as fixed points inthe same way that the calibration marks would be used. Finally, in stillanother embodiment, techniques disclosed with respect to augmentedreality gaming may be used as a way of augmenting a conventional stepperbased game in the way that LCD overlays have been used. In this manner,a complex winning line arrangement may be shown on the mobile phonescreen.

Some preferred implementations of the disclosed embodiments use (1) asmart phone for the client, (2) any suitable web server forcommunication with the smart phone and for the registration of players,and (3) OpenCV image analysis software. Additionally, some embodimentsprovide features that include, by way of example only: (1) new bonusconcepts, (2) quick, intuitive processes for players to obtain help,downloadable games, or other enhancements, (3) scale-ability from nointeraction with the game to full interaction with the game, (4)delivering content to augment a regulated game with a comparativelyunregulated mobile phone application, which cannot affect the regulatedgame, (5) leveraging existing technology, and (6) requiring no newinfrastructure. In other aspects, some embodiments provide: (1) the useof object recognition and OCR to deliver augmented content overlay of anexisting game, (2) the ability to overlay content based upon one-waycommunication from gaming machine (data marks), and (3) a unique methodof tracking potential license violations by casino users.

In accordance with one or more embodiments, FIGS. 26 and 27 illustrate agaming machine 400 including cabinet housing 420, primary game display440 upon which a primary game and feature game may be displayed, top box450 which may display multiple progressives that may be won during playof the primary or feature game, player-activated buttons 460, playertracking panel 436, bill/voucher acceptor 480, and one or more speakers490. Cabinet housing 420 is a self-standing unit that is generallyrectangular in shape and may be manufactured with reinforced steel orother rigid materials which are resistant to tampering and vandalism.Cabinet housing 420 houses a processor, circuitry, and software (notshown) for receiving signals from the player-activated buttons 460,operating the games, and transmitting signals to the respective displaysand speakers. Any shaped cabinet may be implemented with any embodimentof gaming machine 400 so long as it provides access to a player forplaying a game. For example, cabinet 420 may comprise a slant-top,bar-top, or table-top style cabinet. The operation of gaming machine 400is described more fully below.

In another aspect of one embodiment, the plurality of player-activatedbuttons 460 may be used for various functions such as, but not limitedto, selecting a wager denomination, selecting a game to be played,selecting a wager amount per game, initiating a game, or cashing outmoney from gaming machine 400. The Buttons 460 functions to inputmechanisms and may include mechanical buttons, electromechanical buttonsor touch screen buttons. Optionally, a handle 485 may be rotated by aplayer to initiate a game.

In other embodiments, buttons 460 may be replaced with various otherinput mechanisms known in the art such as, but not limited to, a touchscreen system, touch pad, track ball, mouse, switches, toggle switches,or other input means used to accept player input. For example, one inputmeans is a universal button module as disclosed in U.S. application Ser.No. 11/106,212, entitled “Universal Button Module,” filed on Apr. 14,2005, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.Generally, the universal button module provides a dynamic button systemadaptable for use with various games and capable of adjusting to gamingsystems having frequent game changes. More particularly, the universalbutton module may be used in connection with playing a game on a gamingmachine and may be used for such functions as selecting the number ofcredits to bet per hand. In other embodiments, a virtual button deck maybe used to provide similar capabilities. An example of a virtual buttondeck is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/938,203, entitled,“Game Related Systems, Methods, and Articles That Combine Virtual andPhysical Elements,” filed on Nov. 9, 2007, which is hereby incorporatedin its entirety by reference.

Cabinet housing 420 may optionally include top box 450 which contains“top glass” 452 comprising advertising or payout information related tothe game or games available on gaming machine 400. Player tracking panel436 includes player tracking card reader 434 and player tracking display432. Voucher printer 430 may be integrated into player tracking panel436 or installed elsewhere in cabinet housing 420 or top box 450.

Game display 440 presents a game of chance wherein a player receives oneor more outcomes from a set of potential outcomes. For example, one suchgame of chance is a video slot machine game. In other aspects of theembodiment, gaming machine 400 may present a video or mechanical reelslot machine, a video keno game, a lottery game, a bingo game, a ClassII bingo game, a roulette game, a craps game, a blackjack game, amechanical or video representation of a primary wheel game or the like.

Mechanical or video/mechanical embodiments may include game displayssuch as mechanical reels, wheels, or dice as required to present thegame to the player. In video/mechanical or pure video embodiments, gamedisplay 440 is typically a CRT or a flat-panel display in the form of,but not limited to, liquid crystal, plasma, electroluminescent, vacuumfluorescent, field emission, or any other type of panel display known ordeveloped in the art. Game display 440 may be mounted in either a“portrait” or “landscape” orientation and be of standard or “widescreen”dimensions (i.e., a ratio of one dimension to another of at least 16×9).For example, a widescreen display may be 32 inches wide by 18 inchestall. A widescreen display in a “portrait” orientation may be 32 inchestall by 18 inches wide. FIG. 27 illustrates an example of a portraitmode game display 440 having widescreen dimensions in accordance withone embodiment. Additionally, game display 440 preferably includes atouch screen or touch glass system (not shown) and presents playerinterfaces such as, but not limited to, credit meter (not shown), winmeter (not shown) and touch screen buttons (not shown). An example of atouch glass system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,571, entitled“Gaming Device with Direction and Speed Control of Mechanical ReelsUsing Touch Screen,” which is hereby incorporated by reference.Furthermore, as described above, game display 440 may includetransparent portions which cover and may interact with displays onmechanical reels, as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/113,112,entitled, “Mechanical Reels With Interactive Display,” filed on Apr. 30,2008, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

Game display 440 may also present information such as, but not limitedto, player information, advertisements and casino promotions, graphicdisplays, news and sports updates, or may even offer an alternate game.This information may be generated through a host computer networked withgaming machine 400 on its own initiative, or it may be obtained byrequest of the player using either (1) one or more of the plurality ofplayer-activated buttons 460; (2) the game display itself, if gamedisplay 440 comprises a touch screen or similar technology; (3) buttons(not shown) mounted on game display 440 which may permit selections suchas those found on an ATM machine, where legends on the screen areassociated with respective selecting buttons; or (4) any player inputdevice that offers the required functionality.

Cabinet housing 420 incorporates a single game display 440. However, inalternate embodiments, cabinet housing 420 or top box 450 may house oneor more additional displays 453 or components used for various purposesincluding additional game play screens, animated “top glass,”progressive meters or mechanical or electromechanical devices (notshown) such as, but not limited to, wheels, pointers or reels. Theadditional displays may or may not include a touch screen or touch glasssystem.

Referring to FIGS. 28A and 28B, electronic gaming machine 501 is shownin accordance with one or more embodiments. Electronic gaming machine501 includes base game integrated circuit board 503 (EGM ProcessorBoard) connected through serial bus line 505 to game monitoring unit(GMU) 507 (such as a Bally MC300 or ACSC NT), and player interfaceintegrated circuit board (PIB) 509 connected to player interface devices511 over bus lines 513, 515, 517, 519, 521, 523. Printer 525 isconnected to PIB 509 and GMU 507 over bus lines 527, 529. EGM ProcessorBoard 503, PIB 509, and GMU 507 connect to Ethernet switch 531 over buslines 533, 535, 537. Ethernet switch 531 connects to a slot managementsystem (SMS) and a casino management system (CMS) network over bus line539. GMU 507 also may connect to the SMS and CMS network over bus line541. Speakers 543 connect through audio mixer 545 and bus lines 547, 549to EGM Processor Board 503 and PIB 509. The proximity and biometricdevices and circuitry may be installed by upgrading a commerciallyavailable PIB 509, such as a Bally iVIEW unit. Coding executed on EGMProcessor Board 503, PID 509, and/or GMU 507 may be upgraded tointegrate a game having an interactive wheel game as is more fullydescribed herein.

Peripherals 551 connect through bus 553 to EGM Processor Board 503. Forexample, a bill/ticket acceptor is typically connected to a gameinput-output board 553 which is, in turn, connected to a conventionalcentral processing unit (“CPU”) board 503, such as an Intel Pentiummicroprocessor mounted on a gaming motherboard. I/O board 553 may beconnected to CPU processor board 503 by a serial connection such asRS-232 or USB or may be attached to the processor by a bus such as, butnot limited to, an ISA bus. The gaming motherboard may be mounted withother conventional components, such as are found on conventionalpersonal computer motherboards, and loaded with a game program which mayinclude a gaming machine operating system (OS), such as a Bally AlphaOS. Processor board 503 executes a game program that causes processorboard 503 to play a game. In one embodiment, the game program provides aslot machine game having an interactive wheel feature game. The variouscomponents and included devices may be installed with conventionallyand/or commercially available components, devices, and circuitry into aconventionally and/or commercially available gaming machine cabinet,examples of which are described above.

When a player has inserted a form of currency such as, for example andwithout limitation, paper currency, coins or tokens, cashless tickets orvouchers, electronic funds transfers or the like into the currencyacceptor, a signal is sent by way of I/O board 553 to processor board503 which, in turn, assigns an appropriate number of credits for play inaccordance with the game program. The player may further control theoperation of the gaming machine by way of other peripherals 551, forexample, to select the amount to wager via electromechanical or touchscreen buttons. The game starts in response to the player operating astart mechanism such as a handle or touch screen icon.

The game program includes a random number generator to provide a displayof randomly selected indicia on one or more displays. In someembodiments, the random number generator may be physically separate fromgaming machine 400. For example, it may be part of a centraldetermination host system which provides random game outcomes to thegame program. Thereafter, the player may or may not interact with thegame through electromechanical or touch screen buttons to change thedisplayed indicia. Finally, processor board 503 under control of thegame program and OS compares the final display of indicia to a paytable. The set of possible game outcomes may include a subset ofoutcomes related to the triggering of a feature game. In the event thedisplayed outcome is a member of this subset, processor board 503, undercontrol of the game program and by way of I/O Board 553, may causefeature game play to be presented on a feature display.

Predetermined payout amounts for certain outcomes, including featuregame outcomes, are stored as part of the game program. Such payoutamounts are, in response to instructions from processor board 503,provided to the player in the form of coins, credits or currency via I/Oboard 553 and a pay mechanism, which may be one or more of a creditmeter, a coin hopper, a voucher printer, an electronic funds transferprotocol or any other payout means known or developed in the art.

In various embodiments, the game program is stored in a memory device(not shown) connected to or mounted on the gaming motherboard. By way ofexample, but not by limitation, such memory devices include externalmemory devices, hard drives, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and flash memory cards. Inan alternative embodiment, the game programs are stored in a remotestorage device. In one embodiment, the remote storage device is housedin a remote server. The gaming machine may access the remote storagedevice via a network connection, including but not limited to, a localarea network connection, a TCP/IP connection, a wireless connection, orany other means for operatively networking components together.Optionally, other data including graphics, sound files and other mediadata for use with the EGM are stored in the same or a separate memorydevice (not shown). Some or all of the game program and its associateddata may be loaded from one memory device into another, for example,from flash memory to random access memory (RAM).

In one or more embodiments, peripherals may be connected to the systemover Ethernet connections directly to the appropriate server or tied tothe system controller inside the EGM using USB, serial or Ethernetconnections. Each of the respective devices may have upgrades to theirfirmware utilizing these connections.

GMU 507 includes an integrated circuit board, a GMU processor, andmemory including coding for network communications, such as the G2S(game-to-system) protocol from the Gaming Standards Association, LasVegas, Nev., used for system communications over the network. As shown,GMU 507 may connect to card reader 555 through bus 557 and may therebyobtain player card information and transmit the information over thenetwork through bus 541. Gaming activity information may be transferredby the EGM Processor Board 503 to GMU 507 where the information may betranslated into a network protocol, such as S2S, for transmission to aserver, such as a player tracking server, where information about aplayer's playing activity may be stored in a designated server database.

PID 509 includes an integrated circuit board, PID processor, and memorywhich includes an operating system, such as Windows CE, a playerinterface program which may be executable by the PID processor togetherwith various input/output (I/O) drivers for respective devices whichconnect to PID 509, such as player interface devices 511, and which mayfurther include various games or game components playable on PID 509 orplayable on a connected network server and PID 509, which is operable asthe player interface. PID 509 connects to card reader 555 through bus523, display 559 through video decoder 561 and bus 521, such as an LVDSor VGA bus.

As part of its programming, the PID processor executes coding to drivedisplay 559 and provides messages and information to a player. Touchscreen circuitry interactively connects display 559 and video decoder561 to PID 509, such that a player may input information and cause theinformation to be transmitted to PID 509 either on the player'sinitiative or responsive to a query by PID 509. Additionally, soft keys565 connects through bus 517 to PID 509 and operates together withdisplay 559 to provide information or queries to a player and receiveresponses or queries from the player. PID 509, in turn, communicatesover the CMS/SMS network through Ethernet switch 531 and busses 535, 539and with respective servers, such as a player tracking server.

Player interface devices 511 are linked into the virtual private networkof the system components in gaming machine 501. The system componentsinclude the iVIEW processing board and game monitoring unit (GMU)processing board. These system components may connect over a network tothe slot management system (such as a commercially-available BallySDS/SMS) and/or casino management system (such as acommercially-available Bally CMP/CMS).

The GMU system component has a connection to the base game through aserial SAS connection and is connected to various servers using, forexample, HTTPs over Ethernet. Through this connection, firmware, media,operating system software, or gaming machine configurations can bedownloaded to the system components from the servers. This data isauthenticated prior to installation on the system components.

The system components include the iVIEW processing board and gamemonitoring unit (GMU) processing board. The GMU and iVIEW can becombined into one like the commercially available Bally GTM iVIEWdevice. This device may have a video mixing technology to mix the EGMprocessor's video signals with the iVIEW display onto the top boxmonitor or any monitor on the gaming device.

In accordance with one or more embodiments, FIG. 29 is a functionalblock diagram of a gaming kernel 600 of a game program under control ofprocessor board 503, using gaming kernel 600 by calling it intoapplication programming interface (API) 602, which is part of gamemanager 603. The components of game kernel 600, as shown in FIG. 29, areonly illustrative and should not be considered limiting. For example,the number of managers may be changed, additional managers may be addedor some managers may be removed without deviating from the scope andspirit of the disclosed system.

As shown in the example, there are three layers: a hardware layer 605;an operating system layer 610, such as, but not limited to, Linux; and agame kernel layer 600 having game manager 603 therein. In one or moreembodiments, the use of a standard operating system 610, such aUNIX-based or Windows-based operating system, allows game developersinterfacing to the gaming kernel to use any of a number of standarddevelopment tools and environments available for the operating systems.This is in contrast to the use of proprietary, low-level interfaceswhich may require significant time and engineering investments for eachgame upgrade, hardware upgrade, or feature upgrade. The game kernellayer 600 executes at the user level of the operating system 610, anditself contains a major component called the I/O Board Server 615. Toproperly set the bounds of game application software (making integritychecking easier), all game applications interact with gaming kernel 600using a single API 602 in game manager 603. This enables gameapplications to make use of a well-defined, consistent interface, aswell as making access points to gaming kernel 600 controlled, whereoverall access is controlled using separate processes.

For example, game manager 603 parses an incoming command stream and,when a command dealing with I/O comes in (arrow 604), the command issent to an applicable library routine 612. Library routine 612 decideswhat it needs from a device, and sends commands to I/O Board Server 615(see arrow 608). A few specific drivers remain in operating system 610'skernel, shown as those below line 606. These are built-in, primitive, orprivileged drivers that are (i) general, (ii) kept to a minimum, and(iii) easier to leave than extract. In such cases, the low-levelcommunications is handled within operating system 610, and the contentsis passed to library routines 612.

Thus, in a few cases, library routines may interact with drivers insideoperating system 610, which is why arrow 608 is shown as having threedirections (between library utilities 612 and I/O Board Server 615, orbetween library utilities 612 and certain drivers in operating system610). No matter which path is taken, the logic needed to work with eachdevice is coded into modules in the user layer of the diagram. Operatingsystem 610 is kept as simple, stripped down, and common across as manyhardware platforms as possible. The library utilities and user-leveldrivers change as dictated by the game cabinet or game machine in whichit will run. Thus, each game cabinet or game machine may have anindustry standard processor board 505 connected to a unique, relativelydumb, and as inexpensive as possible I/O adapter board 540, plus agaming kernel 600 which will have the game-machine-unique libraryroutines and I/O Board Server 615 components needed to enable gameapplications to interact with the gaming machine cabinet. Note thatthese differences are invisible to the game application software withthe exception of certain functional differences (i.e., if a gamingcabinet has stereo sound, the game application will be able to make useof API 602 to use the capability over that of a cabinet havingtraditional monaural sound).

Game manager 603 provides an interface into game kernel 600, providingconsistent, predictable, and backwards-compatible calling methods,syntax, and capabilities by way of game application API 602. Thisenables the game developer to be free of dealing directly with thehardware, including the freedom to not have to deal with low-leveldrivers as well as the freedom to not have to program lower-levelmanagers 630, although lower-level managers 630 may be accessiblethrough game manager 603's interface 602 if a programmer has the need.In addition to the freedom derived from not having to deal with thehardware level drivers and the freedom of having consistent, callable,object-oriented interfaces to software managers of those components(drivers), game manager 603 provides access to a set of upper levelmanagers 620 also having the advantages of consistent callable,object-oriented interfaces, and further providing the types and kinds ofbase functionality required in casino-type games. Game manager 603,providing all the advantages of its consistent and richly functionalinterface 602 as supported by the rest of game kernel 600, thus providesa game developer with a multitude of advantages.

Game manager 603 may have several objects within itself, including aninitialization object (not shown). The initialization object performsthe initialization of the entire game machine, including other objects,after game manager 603 has started its internal objects and servers inappropriate order. In order to carry out this function, the kernel'sconfiguration manager 621 is among the first objects to be started. Theconfiguration manager 621 has the data needed to initialize andcorrectly configure other objects or servers.

The upper level managers 620 of game kernel 600 may include game eventlog manager 622 which provides, at the least, a logging or logger baseclass, enabling other logging objects to be derived from this baseobject. The logger object is a generic logger. Otherwise stated, thelogger object is not aware of the contents of logged messages andevents. The log manager's (622) job is to log events in non-volatileevent log space. The size of the space may be fixed, although the sizeof the logged event is typically not. When the event space or log spacefills up, one embodiment deletes the oldest logged event (each loggedevent has a time/date stamp, as well as other needed information such aslength), providing space to record the new event. In this embodiment,the most recent events are found in the log space, regardless of theirrelative importance. Further provided is the capability to read thestored logs for event review.

In accordance with one embodiment, meter manager 623 manages the variousmeters embodied in the game kernel 600. This includes the accountinginformation for the game machine and game play. There are hard meters(counters) and soft meters. The soft meters may be stored innon-volatile storage such as non-volatile battery-backed RAM to preventloss. Further, a backup copy of the soft meters may be stored in aseparate non-volatile storage such as EEPROM. In one embodiment, metermanager 623 receives its initialization data for the meters, duringstartup, from configuration manager 621. While running, the cash-in(624) and cash-out (625) managers call the meter manager's (623) updatefunctions to update the meters. Meter manager 623 will, on occasion,create backup copies of the soft meters by storing the soft meters'readings in EEPROM. This is accomplished by calling and using EEPROMmanager 631.

In accordance with still other embodiments, progressive manager 626manages progressive games playable from the game machine. Event manager627 is generic, like log manager 622, and is used to manage variousgaming machine events. Focus manager 628 correlates which process hascontrol of various focus items. Tilt manager 632 is an object thatreceives a list of errors (if any) from configuration manager 621 atinitialization, and during game play from processes, managers, drivers,and the like, that may generate errors. A random number generatormanager 629 is provided to allow easy programming access to a randomnumber generator (RNG), as an (RNG) is required in virtually allcasino-style (gambling) games. The RNG manager 629 includes thecapability of using multiple seeds.

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a credit manager object (notshown) manages the current state of credits (cash value or cashequivalent) in the game machine, including any available winnings, andfurther provides denomination conversion services. Cash out manager 625has the responsibility of configuring and managing monetary outputdevices. During initialization, cash out manager 625, using data fromconfiguration manager 621, sets the cash-out devices correctly andselects any selectable cash-out denominations. During play, a gameapplication may post a cash-out event through the event manager 627 (thesame way all events are handled), and using a callback posted bycash-out manager 625, and cash-out manager 625 is informed of the event.Cash-out manager 625 updates the credit object, updates its state innon-volatile memory, and sends an appropriate control message to thedevice manager that corresponds to the dispensing device. As the devicedispenses dispensable media, there typically are event messages beingsent back and forth between the device and cash-out manager 625 untilthe dispensing finishes. After the dispensing finishes, the cash-outmanager 625, having updated the credit manager and any other game state(such as some associated with meter manager 623) that needs to beupdated for this set of actions, sends a cash out completion event toevent manager 627 and to the game application thereby. The cash inmanager 624 functions similarly to cash out manager 625, addressingrequirements for controlling, interfacing, and managing actionsassociated with cashing in events, cash in devices, and associatedmeters and crediting.

In a further example, in accordance with one or more embodiments, I/Oserver 615 may write data to the gaming machine EEPROM memory, which islocated in the gaming machine cabinet and holds meter storage that mustbe kept even in the event of power failure. Game manager 603 calls theI/O library functions to write data to the EEPROM. The I/O server 615receives the request and starts a low priority EEPROM thread 616 withinI/O server 615 to write the data. This thread uses a sequence of an8-bit command, and data writes to the EEPROM device to write theappropriate data in the proper location within the device. Any errorsdetected are sent as IPC messages to game manager 603. Preferably, allof this processing is asynchronously performed.

In accordance with one embodiment, button module 617 within I/O server615, polls (or is sent) the state of buttons every two milliseconds.These inputs are debounced by keeping a history of input samples.Certain sequences of samples are required to detect a button waspressed, in which case the I/O server 615 sends an inter-processcommunication event to game manager 603 that a button was pressed orreleased. In some embodiments, the gaming machine may have intelligentlydistributed I/O which debounces the buttons, in which case button module617 may be able to communicate with the remote intelligent buttonprocessor to retrieve the button events and simply relay them to gamemanager 603 via IPC messages. In still another embodiment, the I/Olibrary may be used for pay-out requests from the game application. Forexample, hopper module 618 must start the hopper motor, constantlymonitoring the coin sensing lines of the hopper, debounce them, and sendan IPC message to the game manager 603 when each coin is paid.

Further details, including disclosure of lower level fault handlingand/or processing, are included in U.S. Pat. No. 7,351,151 entitled“Gaming Board Set and Gaming Kernel for Game Cabinets” and provisionalU.S. patent application No. 60/313,743, entitled “Form Fitting UpgradeBoard Set For Existing Game Cabinets,” filed Aug. 20, 2001; said patentand provisional application are both fully incorporated herein byexplicit reference.

Referring to FIGS. 30A and 30B, enterprise gaming system 701 is shown inaccordance with one or more embodiments. Enterprise gaming system 701may include one casino or multiple locations and generally includes anetwork of gaming machines 703, floor management system (SMS) 705, andcasino management system (CMS) 707. SMS 705 may include load balancer711, network services servers 713, player interface (iVIEW) contentservers 715, certificate services server 717, floor radio dispatchreceiver/transmitters (RDC) 719, floor transaction servers 721 and gameengines 723, each of which may connect over network bus 725 to gamingmachines 703. CMS 707 may include location tracking server 731, WRGRTCEM server 733, data warehouse server 735, player tracking server 737,biometric server 739, analysis services server 741, third partyinterface server 743, slot accounting server 745, floor accountingserver 747, progressives server 749, promo control server 751, bonusgame (such as Bally Live Rewards) server 753, download control server755, player history database 757, configuration management server 759,browser manager 761, tournament engine server 763 connecting through bus765 to server host 767 and gaming machines 703.

The various servers and gaming machines 703 may connect to the networkwith various conventional network connections (such as, for example,USB, serial, parallel, RS485, and Ethernet). Additional servers whichmay be incorporated with CMS 707 include a responsible gaming limitserver (not shown), advertisement server (not shown), and a controlstation server (not shown) where an operator or authorized personnel mayselect options and input new programming to adjust each of therespective servers and gaming machines 703. SMS 705 may also haveadditional servers including a control station (not shown) through whichauthorized personnel may select options, modify programming, and obtainreports of the connected servers and devices, and obtain reports. Thevarious CMS and SMS servers are descriptively entitled to reflect thefunctional executable programming stored thereon and the nature ofdatabases is maintained and utilized in performing their respectivefunctions.

Gaming machines 703 include various peripheral components that may beconnected with USB, serial, parallel, RS-485 or Ethernetdevices/architectures to the system components within the respectivegaming machine. The GMU has a connection to the base game through aserial SAS connection. The system components in the gaming cabinet maybe connected to the servers using HTTPs or G2S over Ethernet. Using CMS707 and/or SMS 305 servers and devices, firmware, media, operatingsystems, and configurations may be downloaded to the system componentsof respective gaming machines for upgrading or managing floor contentand offerings in accordance with operator selections or automaticallydepending upon CMS 707 and SMS 705 master programming. The data andprogramming updates to gaming machines 703 are authenticated usingconventional techniques prior to installation on the system components.

In various embodiments, any of the gaming machines 703 may be amechanical reel spinning slot machine, video slot machine, video pokermachine, video bingo machine, keno machine, or a gaming machine offeringone or more of the above-described games including an interactive wheelfeature. Alternately, gaming machines 703 may provide a game with anaccumulation-style feature game as one of a set of multiple primarygames selected for play by a random number generator, as describedabove. A gaming system of the type described above also allows aplurality of games in accordance with the various embodiments to belinked under the control of a group game server (not shown) forcooperative or competitive play in a particular area, carousel, casinoor between casinos located in geographically separate areas. Forexample, one or more examples of group games under the control of agroup game server are disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/938,079,entitled “Networked System and Method for Group Gaming,” filed on Nov.9, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety forall purposes.

Various aspects of the systems, methods, functions, steps, features andthe like corresponding thereto disclosed herein may be implemented onone or more computer systems using hardware, software, firmware,circuits, or combinations thereof. Hardware, software, firmware, andcircuits respectively refer to any hardware, software, firmware, orcircuit component. Computer systems referred to herein may refer to anycomputing device and vice versa (e.g., smart phone, mobile computingdevice, personal data assistant, tablet computer, laptop computer,desktop computer, gaming machine, other computing device, and the like).For example, each computer system or computing device in the systemsdescribed herein or any embodiment of a system disclosed herein mayutilize one or more of the following components: a single-core ormulti-core hardware processor (e.g., central processing unit or graphicsprocessing unit) on which software instructions are executed (e.g.,instructions corresponding to an operating system, an applicationprogram, an interpreter such as a virtual machine, or a compiler); amemory associated with and in connection with the hardware processorsuch as cache or other system memory that stores software instructionsor other data that the hardware processor may access for processing; aninput device (e.g., mouse, keyboard, touchscreen, and the like); anoutput device (e.g., display, touchscreen, printer, and the like); anetwork or communication interface that enables the computer system tocommunicate over a network or communication protocol; an applicationprogram having corresponding software instructions that are executableby a hardware processor. Connections between different computer systemsand connections between different computer system components may bewired or wireless.

Virtualization computing techniques, cloud computing techniques, webapplication/website computing techniques, traditional and adaptivestreaming techniques, and other computing techniques may be implementedby any embodiment of a system disclosed herein to enable and/or enhancethe teachings described herein. For example, in a cloud computingembodiment, one or more servers (i.e., one or more computer systems) maystore and execute software instructions corresponding to an applicationprogram based on input data received from client devices. In response tothe input data received, the application program is executedaccordingly, which results in graphical data being processed and outputto the client devices for display on a display such as a touch screen ona smart phone or tablet computer.

As another example, in a web application or website embodiment, datarepresentative of a user input may be transmitted to a server (i.e., acomputer system) hosting the website for processing and storage inmemory. In an application program embodiment, the application may bestored and executed locally on a user's computer system. In otherembodiments, one or more components of the application program may bestored and executed on a server and the user's computer system. Forexample, a user may download the application program from an app storefor an Android computing device, Blackberry computing device, Applecomputing device, Windows computing device, Samsung computing device,other computing device, and the like. Execution of the applicationprogram on the user's computing device may require that the devicetransmit and receive data to and from one or more computing devices suchas a server or other user's computing device. For example, anapplication may be downloaded from a server to a mobile device. Uponinstallation, the mobile device may communicate with a server, such as agaming server.

One or more embodiments of the systems disclosed herein may utilizestreaming technology. Streaming data enables data to be presented to theuser of the client device while the client device receives data from theserver. Streaming data from servers to client devices (e.g., computingdevices operated by users) over a network is typically limited by thebandwidth of the network, or alternatively, the physical layer netbitrate. Traditional streaming protocols, such as RTSP (Real-TimeStreaming Protocol), MS-WMSP (Windows Media HTTP Streaming Protocol),and RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol) may be implemented, whichessentially send data in small packets from the server to the clientdevice in real-time at the encoded bitrate of the data. Adaptivestreaming may also be implemented. Adaptive streaming almost exclusivelyrelies on HTTP for the transport protocol. Similar to traditionalstreaming, data is encoded into discrete packets of a particular size;however, the source data is encoded at multiple bitrates rather than asingle bitrate. The data packets corresponding to the same data encodedat different bitrates are then indexed based on the bitrate in memory.This streaming method works by measuring, in real-time, the availablebandwidth and computer capacity of the client device, and adjusts whichindexed data packet to transfer based on the encoded bitrate.

One or more aspects of the systems disclosed herein may be located on(i.e., processed, stored, executed, or the like; or include one or morehardware or software components) a single computer system or may bedistributed among a plurality of computer systems attached by one ormore communication networks (e.g., interne, intranet, atelecommunications network, and the like). One or more components of acomputer system may be distributed across one or more computer systemsin communication with the computer system over a communication network.For example, in some embodiments, the systems disclosed herein mayutilize one or more servers (i.e., one or more computer systemsdedicated for a particular purpose in the system) that may be dedicatedto serve the needs of one or more other computer systems or componentsacross a communication network and/or system bus. The one or moreservers may provide a central processing location for one or moreaspects of the systems disclosed herein.

Again, various aspects of the systems, methods, function, and stepscorresponding thereto disclosed herein may be implemented on one or morecomputer systems using hardware, software, firmware, or combinationsthereof. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that one ormore circuits and/or software may be used to implement the system andmethods described herein. Circuits refer to any circuit, whetherintegrated or external to a processing unit such as a hardwareprocessor. Software refers to code or instructions executable by acomputing device using any hardware component such as a processor toachieve the desired result. This software may be stored locally on aprocessing unit or stored remotely and accessed over a communicationnetwork.

As disclosed herein, a processor or hardware processor may refer to anyhardware processor or software processor. A software processor mayinclude or otherwise constitute an interpreter that is executed by ahardware processor. A computer system according to any embodimentdisclosed herein is configured to perform any of the described functionsrelated to the various embodiments of the systems disclosed herein.

As disclosed herein, any method, function, step, feature, or result maybe considered a module that may include software instructions thatcause, when executed by a computing device, the desired method,function, step, feature, or result. Executed by a computing deviceincludes execution by any hardware component (e.g., CPU, GPU, networkinterface, integrated circuits, other hardware components, and the like)of the computing device such as a hardware processor. Any module may beexecuted by a computing device (e.g., by a processor of the computingdevice). Any method, function, step, feature, result, and the likedisclosed herein may be implemented by one or more software moduleswhether explicitly described or not. Individual components within acomputing device may work together to accomplish a desired method,function, step, feature, or result. For example, a computing device mayreceive data and process the data. A simple example would be that anetwork interface receives the data and transmits the data over a bus toa processor.

Various aspects of the systems disclosed herein may be implemented assoftware executing in a computer system. The computer system may includea central processing unit (i.e., a hardware processor) connected to oneor more memory devices, a graphical processing unit, input devices suchas a mouse and keyboard, output devices such as speakers and a display,a network interface to connect to one or more other computer systems(e.g., one or more computer systems configured to provide a service suchas function as a database), an operating system, a compiler, aninterpreter (i.e., a virtual machine), and the like. The memory may beused to store executable programs and data during operation of thecomputer system. The executable programs may be written in a high-levelcomputer programming language, such as Java or C++. Of course, otherprogramming languages may be used since this disclosure is not limitedto a specific programming language or computer system. Further, it is tobe appreciated that the systems and methods disclosed herein are notlimited to being executed on any particular computer system or group ofcomputer systems.

Some methods, functions, steps, or features have been described as beingexecuted by corresponding software by a processor. It is understood thanany methods, functions, steps, features, or anything related to thesystems disclosed herein may be implemented by hardware, software (e.g.,firmware), or circuits despite certain methods, functions, steps, orfeatures having been described herein with reference to softwarecorresponding thereto that is executable by a processor to achieve thedesired method, function, or step. It is understood that softwareinstructions may reside on a non-transitory medium such as one or morememories accessible to one or more processors in the systems disclosedherein. For example, where a computing device receives data, it isunderstood that the computing device processes that data whetherprocessing the data is affirmatively stated or not. Processing the datamay include storing the received data, analyzing the received data,and/or processing the data to achieve the desired result, function,method, or step. It is further understood that input data from onecomputing device or system may be considered output data from anothercomputing device or system, and vice versa. It is yet further understoodthat any methods, functions, steps, features, results, or anythingrelated to the systems disclosed herein may be represented by data thatmay be stored on one or more memories, processed by one or morecomputing devices, received by one or more computing devices,transmitted by one or more computing devices, and the like.

The various embodiments and examples described herein are provided byway of illustration only and should not be construed to limit theclaimed invention, nor the scope of the various embodiments andexamples. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize variousmodifications and changes that may be made to the claimed inventionwithout following the example embodiments and applications illustratedand described herein, and without departing from the true spirit andscope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the followingclaims. In addition, various embodiments may be combined. Therefore,reference to an embodiment, one embodiment, in some embodiments, inother embodiments, and the like does not preclude one or more methods,functions, steps, features, results, hardware implementations, orsoftware implementations of different embodiments from being combined.Further, reference to an embodiment, one embodiment, in someembodiments, in other embodiments, examples, and the like providesvarious aspects that may or may not be combined with those of one ormore different embodiments and/or examples.

While the example embodiments have been described with relation to agaming environment, it will be appreciated that the above concepts canalso be used in various non-gaming environments. For example, suchrewards can be used in conjunction with purchasing products, e.g.,gasoline or groceries, associated with vending machines, used withmobile devices or any other form of electronic communications.Accordingly, the disclosure should not be limited strictly to gamingcasinos, arcades, portal based game sites, cellular phone devices,personal digital assistant devices, laptops, personal computers, homegame consoles, bar top gaming devices, table gaming devices, surfacecomputing devices, table gaming biometric touch screen, televisiongaming, or in-room gaming devices.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of displaying augmented realityinformation associated with a user-specific object using mobile devicein an augmented reality system, the method comprising: acquiringuser-specific identification information from the user-specific object;sending the user-specific identification information via a network to aserver; retrieving user-specific specific information from the serverusing the mobile device; and displaying the user-specific specificinformation in conjunction with the user-specific object when viewingthe user-specific object through the display of the mobile device usingaugmented reality, wherein a user virtually views information associatedwith the user-specific object using augmented reality graphicalrepresentations.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein user-specificinformation includes messages to the user, available credits,promotional points available to the user, or combinations thereof. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific information isdisplayed using one or more icons presented in association withuser-specific object when viewed through the display of the mobiledevice.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring user-specificidentification information from the user-specific object using opticalcharacter recognition of information visible on the user-specificobject.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the userto interact with the user-specific information in conjunction with theuser-specific object when viewing the user-specific object through thedisplay of the mobile device using augmented reality.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the user-specific information is promotional or voucherinformation.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein promotional or voucherinformation includes a complementary drink icon, movie ticket icon,restaurant voucher icon, or combinations thereof.
 8. The method of claim6, wherein the promotional or voucher information is displayed using oneor more icons presented in association with user-specific object whenviewed through the display of the mobile device.
 9. The method of claim6, wherein acquiring user-specific identification information from theuser-specific object using optical character recognition of informationvisible on the user-specific object.
 10. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising enabling the user to interact with the promotional or voucherinformation in conjunction with the user-specific object when viewingthe user-specific object through the display of the mobile device usingaugmented reality.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specificinformation is bonus game information.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein bonus game information includes a virtual bonus game, virtualpromotional game, virtual base game, or combinations thereof.
 13. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the bonus game information is displayedusing one or more icons presented in association with user-specificobject when viewed through the display of the mobile device.
 14. Themethod of claim 11, wherein acquiring user-specific identificationinformation from the user-specific object using optical characterrecognition of information visible on the user-specific object.
 15. Themethod of claim 11, further comprising enabling the user to interactwith the promotional or voucher information in conjunction with theuser-specific object when viewing the user-specific object through thedisplay of the mobile device using augmented reality.
 16. A method ofdisplaying user-specific augmented reality features at a user's mobiledevice in association with a user-specific physical instrument, themethod comprising: providing for acquisition of the user-specificidentification information from the user-specific physical instrument;enabling the user-specific identification information to be sent to aserver; retrieving user-specific augmented reality features from theserver using the user-specific identification information; and enablinga display at the mobile device to present the user-specific augmentedreality features in conjunction with the user-specific physicalinstrument when viewing the user-specific physical instrument at thedisplay of the mobile device, wherein the user-specific physicalinstrument is a user-specific object.
 17. The method of claim 16,wherein the user-specific augmented reality features includeuser-specific available credit.
 18. A system for displayinguser-specific augmented reality features at a user's mobile device inassociation with a user-specific physical instrument, the systemcomprising: a server storing data representing user-specific augmentedreality features; and a software application to (i) configure the user'smobile device for acquiring the user-specific identification informationwhen viewing a live image of the user-specific physical instrument usinga mobile device camera and mobile device display and (ii) transmit theacquired user-specific identification information to the server; theserver arranged to (i) access the user-specific augmented realityfeatures using the user-specific identification information and (ii)provide user-specific augmented reality features to the user's mobiledevice, wherein the user-specific augmented reality features includeuser-specific available credit, the software application configuring themobile device to display the user-specific augmented reality features inconjunction with the user-specific physical instrument when viewing theuser-specific physical instrument on the display of the mobile device.19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user-specific physicalinstrument is a user-specific object.